Amid shocking images of terrified Israeli soldiers and civilians - some bloodied, others hooded and with their hands tied - being marched away by Hamas militants, the whereabouts and fate of the captives have become pressing issues for military planners.
While a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, has said only that a "significant number" of Israeli civilians and soldiers are being held hostage, that number is believed to be in the dozens, with some Israeli news outlets speculating that up to 100 have been taken.
Officials in the US and UK were urgently investigating claims that several Americans and one British citizen may have been captured.
According to reports, while most hostages were taken by Palestinian armed factions, some Palestinian civilians who entered Israel may have taken captives too.
Conricus said some hostages were alive while others were presumed dead, in line with the practice of Gaza's militant factions of taking human remains to exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
"These are numbers that were up until now unimaginable," said Conricus. "This will shape the future of this war." Israeli TV news aired accounts from the relatives of captive or missing Israelis, who begged for assistance amid a fog of uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones. Among them was Ora Kuperstein, who was interviewed on Channel 12 and said her family was looking for her nephew, 21-year-old Bar, who was working at the rave that was attacked by Hamas, and taken into Gaza.
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Bajrami and McCausland to the fore as Rangers seal impressive victory
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Naomi Campbell banned as charity trustee for five years
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Family haunted by last moments of teenager killed by 12-year-olds
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